Trans Memes

No disrespect, but have you like...gone outside? Parents raise boys and girls differently. The differences in the ways (on average) those seen as boys or girls are raised and treated IS what we call male/female socialization.

First, immediately abandon any absolute idea here. We're talking generally, broad averages. Yes, everyone is unique. Yes, no two people are socialized exactly the same.

Do you really not understand how differently society raises those perceived as male and female? Are you blind to how society treats adults that it reads as male or female? That is socialization - the gendered treatment you receive based on how you are perceived.

Below I'll provide a list of examples. But warning, try not to get hung up on the idea that these have to be universal. For example, one aspect of gendered socialization is that those perceived as men are more encouraged to go into contact sports like football or wrestling. You personally may never have had an interest in sports, but that's irrelevant when we're talking about society as a whole.

Those read assigned male at birth, on average, tend to be:

• Forced or encouraged to wear shorter hair.
• Strongly discouraged or prevented from using makeup.
• More strongly encouraged to study STEM subjects.
• Trained to take up maximum space. (See man-spreading.)
• Trained to carry a wallet.
• Encouraged to play with action figures and toy soldiers.
• Trained to speak up and talk over others.
• Trained to expect a woman to get out of your way.
• Dressed in blue and given blue toys as an infant.
• Taught to avoid most skin care and beauty techniques.

Those read assigned female at birth, on average, tend to be:

• Forced or encouraged to longer hair.
• Encouraged or required to wear makeup.
• More strongly encouraged to social sciences and pink-collar fields.
• Trained to minimum space.
• Trained to carry a purse.
• Encouraged to play with dolls.
• Trained to let others speak first.
• Trained to get out of the way of a man.
• Dressed in pink and given pink toys as an infant.
• Taught to take skin care and beauty techniques very seriously.

And that is just the tip of the iceberg. Again, it would be a mistake to respond to this saying, "but no one ever taught ME one of those items," or "I was taught that way, but I rejected it!" We're talking about broad societal averages, not what one person in particular experiences.